Chapter Text
Tim didn’t know why he felt like this. He was his own person and he was allowed to say no, right? At least that's what he kept telling himself over and over.
His father had asked him to watch the football game with him, which was a rare occasion in itself. Jack Drake rarely had time to do something fun with his son and even if Tim didn’t like the sound of whatever movie or sport was on he’d still watch it with his dad. Only issue was that the chosen sport this time was football. And Tim hated football. A lot. He found it too boring and it was hard to understand the rules.
Usually he would jump at the opportunity to sit with his dad but he found it in himself to decline. He hated saying no to his parents in general, in fact he was scared to say it. He didn’t want to disappoint them. Even if it’s something as simple as saying no to watching football.
Saying no always left him with a deep rooted guilt which would eat away at him. It felt like the most agonising thing, almost mental torture to his 11 year old mind.
He loved his parents and he knew they loved him too. He knew that they would always love him, no matter what.
So why did he feel this way?
It almost made him want to puke. Want to rip his hair from his scalp. Want to run away. Isolate himself. Cry. And so so so much more-
He was spiralling. Again.
Again.
This always happens whenever he says no.
Currently he was curled up at his desk, debating what to do. He didn’t want to leave his room, that was his definite decision. He listened to the muffled footsteps and voices from around his house.
He knew whose footsteps were whose. He knew exactly how his mother and father walked up the stairs, how they knock on his door. He memorised their movements, from how slow they walked, to how heavy their footsteps were on carpet to the hardwood floor. Really he didn’t need to memorise it all but he did. He had to.
Or at least he felt he had to.
….
A good half an hour passed, Tim was fiddling around with his camera, his thoughts still racing with how disappointed his father would be with him.
Disappointment
Disappointment
Disappointment
Disappointment
Disappoint-
A car engine! A familiar sounding one too.
Tim got out of his desk chair and ran over to the window, already camera ready. There they were! The Wayne family! Tim looked through the lens, hoping to get a good picture before the car went out of view. He managed to snap a picture of the back of the car, only getting the number plate. He’d just have to add that to the collection of number plate photos he had.
Tim stared at where the car had just been before going under his bed. There underneath the bed frame was a small blue shoe box. He opened it up to reveal his ongoing hobby. Snapping photos of the Waynes. Many would say it’s creepy and weird to be taking photos of the billionaire family but to Tim this was just a hobby. His hobby. It kept him happy and distracted from the guilt that was still eating away at him bit by bit.
He tipped out the insides (which were all neatly in piles clipped together by paper clips, of course Tim wouldn’t have it any other way) onto the floor and put the new picture with the stack of number plate photos. He had seven piles. The piles included, Bruce Wayne, Dick Grayson, Jason Todd, Alfred Pennyworth, their car, the car number plate and the random pile. Each pile paper clipped together.
Tim I clipped the Jason Todd pile. Jason was his favourite, and in a way, his inspiration. If Jason was able to get into the family then so could Tim.
Now as previously stated, Tim loves his parents, and they love him. But Tim saw how different the Wayne family was, how Dick and Jason had each other and he wanted that. He wanted brothers of his own. And it all just looked so perfect.
He was lonely.
As he looked at the pictures with star filled eyes, he heard the intricate steps of his mother down the hall. In a panic, Tim quickly paper clipped the Jason pile and stuffed all the photos into the show box and pushed it away.
And just as he heard that three tapped knock on his door (his mothers signature knock) he was out from under the bed.
“Um, you can come in.” He called out as he walked round his bed and to the centre of his room to meet half way to his mother.
“Ah, Timothy darling, your father and I are going out in a minute or so. We won’t be back until late. The Nanny hasn’t been called since it was so last minute, but you’re a good boy, aren’t you?” Janet bent over just enough to smooth his hair and brush it out of his eyes. Tim nodded.
She didn’t seem mad. That was good.
“Yes mother. Where are you going?” Tim looked up at his mother, her tucked hair falling from behind her ear.
“Just something to do with business, dear. No need to concern yourself with it.”
Tim nodded again. He knew not to question further, as curious as he was.
There was a call from downstairs and Janet stood up straight, already prepared for going out. “Now be a good boy, love you.” She walked out of his room, shutting the door behind her.
Tim listened for the front door to shut before going back to the window to watch his parents leave. He would always make sure they left before doing anything that revolves leaving his room. Not that he was confined to his room by his parents but he preferred to stay out of their way.
Once his parents had driven away to whatever business they so urgently had to attend to, Tim was free to do what he wanted. He looked at the camera in his hand and immediately got the best idea ever. What if he somehow befriended Jason and got close enough that he could technically be a part of their family. Like a second home. But first, he would have to plan it out.
Time for operation: The Family Project.